1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a special neck protective helmet and shoulder pads and more particularly pertains to a new neck protective gear for protecting the neck from injury caused as a result of head impacts especially by football players.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a special neck protective helmet and shoulder pads are known in the prior art. More specifically, a special neck protective helmet and shoulder pads heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,917; U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,193; U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,698; U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,905; U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,367; and U.S. Pat. No. D249,396.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new neck protective gear. The inventive device includes a helmet which has a bottom edge extending essentially below both ears and around the back of the user's head and which also has an extensible member which extends downwardly and along the bottom edge and is adapted to at least partially cover the user's neck region, and further includes a set of shoulder pads having an upwardly extending collar which is adapted to receive at least a portion of the extensible member. Any impact to the user's head is transferred from the helmet to the shoulder pads rather than to the user's neck thus preventing serious injury.
In these respects, the neck protective gear according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of protecting the neck from injury caused as a result of head impacts especially by football players.